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Exotic Fruits – Rambutan

Okay folks, here’s exotic fruit #4 and isn’t he strange looking? Don’t really know why I’m referring to this fruit as a “he” other than the fact that it looks somewhat hairy. Okay, anyway, this brightly colored fruit is called a Rambutan.

The Rambutan is widely distributed throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and Southeast Asia and is identified in some countries, by different names. For example, in Nicargua, Costa Rica and Panama, Rambutan is identified as “mamon chino” while Thailand people call it “ngoh”. Although the common color of Rambutan is red, the hairy skin of the Rambutan fruit is removed to get to the whitish or pinky edible parts. They typically taste sweet though some are sour as well as sweet.

Rambutan is a tasty fruit and it is very popular in many countries. Seed oil from the Rambutan is used in candles and soap. Rambutan fruit is said to heal dysentery and diarrhea effectively. The leaves are also used as cataplasm to cure headaches. In Malaysia, the skin of the Rambutan fruit is used to prepare native medicines. Additionally, the roots of Rambutan trees are boiled and used as a medication to cure fever.

Open Rambutan fruit by first finding seam across the red skin and fruit and gently pull apart. You can also use the knife, but be careful, only cut through the skin. Then you can hold the fruit with your fingers and enjoy. It is highly recommended to eat the rambutan raw.